A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing
by BlackOphelia
Summary: A simple girl living a simple life soon finds herself in the company of a new and exciting friend. However, she is not too sure what secrets this friendship entails, about the dashing young man or of herself. Or of the dangers that will unfold. Loki/OC
1. Prologue

It was a rather cold night in October. The moon was high, kept company by millions of twinkling stars on the blanket of pitch darkness. Cherokee Street fell silent as the sun went down. Brick buildings and brick houses lined the street and all that remained outside was a lone Metro Bus letting people off at the last stop of the night. While the streetlights flickered and cast light on the bus that picked up speed down the road leaving exhaust in its wake, a handful of people wrapped in coats and scarves and gloves made their way home.

A few of them spoke to each other and complained about the dead weather, but Alex loved the cold. The autumn air was crisp and cleared her senses. It was something much needed, as she almost fell asleep on the train and the bus. She could at least stay awake until she got back home. The wind started surging so strongly that she felt it go right through her coat and hoodie and chill her bones. No matter how many times she kept pulling the hood of her coat back over her head, the wind kept throwing it off. Her fingers almost creaked when she brought her hands into fists inside her pockets. _So cold_, she thought. _Way too cold for late October_. _It might as well be snowing. _Winter was drawing nearer each day, and even though she desperately prayed for snow that year, she still wished for a little less wind. Wind made everything worse. The thought of heading indoors to a warm bed and a faithful companion was beginning to sound heavenly.

The small crowd soon dispersed, each person splitting off from the group and heading into their house or apartment building. Only a few Alex knew by name. There was knobby old Mamie Jenkins, who still worked the graveyard shift at a seedy convenience store. She always said the reason no one bothered her was because of her HIV and missing teeth. She tended to spit when she spoke. Hal Kassing, a young man originally from New Mexico, worked crazy shifts at the children's hospital. The guy was a self-proclaimed miracle worker, and his photography skills were superb. He always inquired about her prettiest friends, especially her young and bodacious landlady. "I'm dying for new subject matter," he would say. "Got any friends? Of course you do. You gave Eloise my number, right?" And then there was Daniel Carmichael. A pissed off old man who looked like a suave Chuck Berry and swore enough for a legion of sailors. Alex did not talk to him anymore. She made sure not to. Other than Hal, the others kept their distance. She discovered she preferred it that way.

Her place of residence was only three blocks away from the bus stop, something she was insanely thrilled about every single time she exited the bus. The less walking she had to endure the better she would feel. A split shift at the daycare and then graciously covering for the manger at the pub-it was a wonder that she was still able to stand up without any support. If the sun was still up, and the wind was not so strong, it would have been a great day to perch up on the roof and enjoy a little sketching.

The roof was her nest. It was a place of the most sincere calmness that she had access to. On nights she could not find anything good to watch on basic cable or when the books on her shelf did not entice her into reading, Alex would bring her oversized sketchpad, a zipper pouch of pencils, and her iPod up to the rooftop. When the weather was nice, to the 80s rock and oldies on her mp3 player, she would mindlessly doodle or sketch with intentions of creating a masterpiece worthy of contemporary art museums. But as the nights grew darker, they grew colder as well. And the young woman traded in her floor pillows for fleece blankets and occasionally watched the world of Cherokee Street from her second story window.

Sleep called to her. Sweet, blissful sleep. Alex adjusted the strap on her purse and then rubbed her eyes free from the tears that obstructed her vision due to the wind. When they opened, something ahead caught her attention. By the light of the lamp posts, she could see someone walking down the sidewalk. A man. What he actually looked like was hard to tell, due to the darkness; streetlights could only do so much. And he was not walking-he was _limping_. How did he get so far ahead of her in that condition? The more she thought about it, the sooner she realized that particular man did not get off the Metro Bus with the rest of them. Maybe he got in a fight? It was the only explanation she could think of. The only realistic one. Brawls happened. Robberies. _Poor guy. Maybe I should call the ambulance for him. _She did not reach for her cell phone in her coat's breast pocket, however. She felt horrible, yes, but…there was something off about the situation. _Don't walk too fast. Then you'll _have_ to interact with the guy._

Where was he going? And if her guess was correct and he was ambushed, the man was an idiot for ambling about in plain sight. That decision of his could get him into even more trouble around there. Alex enjoyed living in that neighborhood, but she would not say it was completely safe. As she scoffed at his stupidity, the man stopped, as if something caught his attention.

And then he turned to look right at her.

_Holy shit!_

In a panic, she quickly came to a halt. Why the hell did she scoff at him? He was bound to hear her, the two of them were mere yards apart. "Um, s-sir?" She swallowed and forced herself to speak. "Are you…are you alright?" She had to make it up to her apartment, and fast. Her heart raced in her chest as she stared back at the figure in the night. Her heartbeat drummed so loud in her own ears, Alex was afraid he would hear that too. In his condition, she could easily outrun him. And if she could not, if the man was faking the injury to get closer to her…her father once demonstrated how to break a man's nose while armed only with her strength and the heel of her hand. Alex remembered it well enough. She only prayed that it was enough.

The man stood in the dim pool of light for several moments, just staring. At least she thought he was. Alex could not make out his eyes, or any of his features, but he burned holes in her. It was all very uncomfortable. It made her feel…guilty. She hated that feeling, being ashamed of not doing something. _One stupid phone call isn't going to hurt anyone._ But as soon as her fingers unbuttoned the flap fastening the pocket closed, he-whoever he was-simply turned and continued his way down the decrepit sidewalk. _What the hell?_ Alex not sure how long she had been standing outside. The cold numbness in her toes and her stuffy nose were good indications to both questions. Recognizing that she was standing in front of her building, Alex dashed up the stairs and fumbled with the keys in her hands before unlocking the door. She did not even check the mail that stuck out of the metal mailbox by the entrance.

Once she was up the wooden stairs and in the studio Alex bolted the door and switched on the light. Feeling safe in the walls of her own place, she unlaced her boots and kicked them into a corner of dirty clothes before throwing her messenger bag onto the mattress that was pushed up beneath the windowpane. "Toby?" Alex called. She glanced around and found her dog, a boxer-bulldog mix, fast asleep in the large kennel in the corner, the metal door open. At the sound of her footsteps approaching, Toby opened up his eyes and let out a small whine. She bent down onto the wooden floor and reached into the kennel to scratch him behind the ears. "I missed you too, boy. I'm home." The day had been a long one, but thankfully she was now free of any schedule but to sleep in as long as she saw fit. No setting the alarm for the morning. No last minute ironing or lint-rolling any work clothes. Just sleep. It was the beauty of Saturdays. And maybe the two of them could go for a well-deserved run in the afternoon. Toby would love that. They had not gone running in a few days, and autumn was the best time for it.

Alex did not even bother removing her coat. She crawled up under the covers on her pathetic bed, relishing in the instant warmth of the layers. The memory of the limping man was pushed to the corner of her mind. He would be fine….right? Of course he would. He made it that far without her, and he did not even answer her when she called out to him. She quickly brushed off the fact that she might not have been talking loud enough for him to hear anything over the wind and pinned it all down on a simple, "He was just too stubborn to ask for help."

"Come here, Toby." The dog perked up and sprinted the short distance from the kennel to the makeshift bed. He curled up at her feet and she smiled, giving his back a pat. "It's a good thing that you're here with me. A girl would get awfully lonely up here by herself." With that calming reflection, she slowly drifted off into a long and dreamless sleep.


	2. Pawn Shoppe Heart

**G.U.3.S.S.**-Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you like it so far. But I cannot stress it enough. If you think there's something I should change, call me out on it. This goes for all of you!

**Kuroda Foxe14**-Yeah, sorry about cancelling the other one. But I promise, you'll enjoy this one even more! I feel like I actually have some semi-developed characters right now and the plot doesn't really suck so far.

Prepare for some dullness. I'm in it for the long haul. Are you? (Also, the titles of the chapters are the names of songs that either set the mood or have something to do with the chapter itself. Just in case you were wondering.)

Disclaimer: Thor and The Avengers and all the characters belong to Marvel. I own my crappy OCs.

* * *

The heavy knocking was what stirred her from her slumber.

Alex shot up and wiped the drool from her face with the back of her hand. Her eyes creaked open and shut again at the sight of sunlight. The knocking at her studio door continued. _Why on Earth would someone be here so early on a Saturday? _She was still in her coat and clothes from the night before-black slacks, white buttoned blouse, and her extra large black hoodie. No doubt her hair was in disarray. She fumbled with her coat's breast pocket and pulled out her cell phone. It was already well past noon. _Guess it's not that early. _

Her apartment was in shambles. A massive pile of dirty laundry was in the corner closest to the mattress. The old and tattered mattress pushed up under one of the windows stood alone. No box mattress underneath it, no frame to make it a bed. Only a few pillows, a collection of blankets, and faithful old Toby to keep it company. A tall mirror that was meant to hang on a door was propped up against a bare white wall. The cramped bathroom was always atrocious. The kitchen was meager, a refrigerator, a few cabinets, a counter with an old electric stove, and a sink filled with dirty dishes. Alex made a mental note to at least wash all the dishes before Sunday.

When the knocking did not stop, she reluctantly clambered over her sleeping dog and hauled herself to the door. The person on the other side was already testing her patience. As far as she was concerned, the building was not on fire. Calm the hell down, she thought angrily as she undid the locks and swung the door open. Her expression softened when her gaze met the other's.

"Alex! What the hell! I've been knocking for, like, five minutes!" Eloise threw her hands up in the air in frustration as she forcefully pushed past Alex and entered the apartment. The annoyance was beginning to come back and Alex mentally prepared herself for an earful. "Don't you have a shop to run, Eloise?"

Eloise laughed. "Yeah, shop. Whatever." The studio that Alex resided in happened to be above Eloise's kitschy vintage shop. Downstairs, she sold all things vintage. Retro Tupperware, clothes, toys, and the like. She even used her store as a place to sell the artwork of local artists. Eloise looked at the messy studio, an air of disgust hanging around her. "Why do you insist on living in a pig sty?"

_And so it begins_. "I don't know. Maybe because I work all day. Good afternoon, by the way." Alex closed the door. There was a draft coming in, making the studio colder than it already was. She would catch a cold before the day was over.

Her guest ignored her. "You know, I could evict you for this mess. Get tenants who clean regularly." Dear, beautiful Eloise Martin. Alex knew she meant well, but she lacked tact. Eloise had a penchant for vintage clothing, especially the style of the 1950s, which she did her best to showcase on a daily basis. That day she wore a black pencil skirted dress with three-quarter sleeves and red peep-toe heels. Her electric blue locks were pinned up with Bobbi pins and held back with a headband. As always, her lips were painted red and eyelids dusted with black shadow. All she needed were full tattoo sleeves and Eloise would be strutting off the set of L.A. Ink.

"No, seriously, don't you have to run the shop?" Alex walked back over to the bed and sat down by Toby, who was still sleeping. She envied him. Even Eloise could not stir him from his canine dreams. And that was saying something. Eloise flashed a white smile. "That's the great thing about running a business like mine. Store hours are whenever I feel like store hours should be."

Alex rolled her eyes. _If you don't take your job seriously, why even run a business?_ "Why are you even here? And aren't you cold in that dress?" Her landlady clapped her hands together in excitement. "That's why I came up here! I need you to watch the shop for me-"

"No. No, a thousand times no."

The blue haired diva groaned. "Why? I'll let you skip the rent for next month!"

Alex's eyebrows shot right up. "Really," she said. "A whole month's rent? Just like the last time you asked me to cover for you and later you texted me to let me know that my rent was two months overdue?" Eloise would ditch the store and revel in the company of her friends at this bar or that club. She was quite the drinker when Alex would cover for her or close the shop in her place. But that was not going to happen anymore. If she wanted her small business to flourish, then she needed to take it seriously.

Eloise shrugged her shoulders and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry?" Only when Alex went back to the door, she started begging. Her heels clacked on the wooden floor. "Come on, Alex! I'm serious this time. This really cute guy asked me out on a date and I absolutely have to go."

"Where did this guy come from? You never told me about a new guy." Alex eyed her friend cautiously while making her way to the kitchen. She opened up the dog food container and filled Toby's food bowl with two scoops with a plastic cup. The sound was enough to wake the canine up. He flew off the bed and skidded onto the wooden floor. Alex filled another bowl with water from the faucet and placed it on the floor as he inhaled his breakfast. Every time Eloise scoped out a new potential "true love" she would go tell Alex everything that made that one more special than the last. And her special meant how sexy they were, from the articles of clothing they wore down to how clean they kept their fingernails. Another good term for her was boy crazy. "Did you meet him last night?" She opened the fridge and removed a Golden Delicious apple from the side door. Breakfast of champions, she thought as she took a bite.

"No, stupid," Eloise rolled her eyes. "I met him in the shop before I came up here." Alex found herself back on her bed and sighed. As the other woman began her excessive rant on the guy and their conversation together, she decided to pull her only good pair of running shoes on. She told herself that she would take Toby out running, and she was going to do it. With her schedule so busy, Toby needed some time outside whenever he could. Alex grabbed the leash off the coat hook on the wall. By that time all that remained of the apple was its core and stem. She tossed it in the trash can and missed.

"Are you even listening?" Eloise asked.

"Not really," Alex replied. Toby was still sleeping. She was going to have to wake him up if she expected to get Eloise out of her hair. "Look, can you leave? I've got to take Toby out. He needs the exercise."

Her friend fumed. "Alex! I just need you to watch the shop for tonight, that's all! I can't ask anyone else!"

"Why not? You got plenty of other friends," she retorted while trying to tame her thick curls with a hair band she pulled from her pocket. She walked over to the bed and patted Toby awake before checking herself in the mirror. Her dark frizzy curls were in need of some hair product. Badly. Alex hooked the leash onto the back of her dog's collar. "Come on, Toby. Let's go for a walk."

"You're the closest, and I don't trust them as much as I trust you."

_Oh my God, really?_ Toby lied down on the floor and whined, looking as if he were tired of the humans' conversation. _You and me both, buddy._ Alex glared at her pathetic friend, who could not for the life of her plan a single date on a day she was not working. And she could not even wait for her to take Toby out. "I swear, Eloise, this is the last time I'm doing this. I-" She could not say much else, due to the fact that Eloise had pulled her into a bone-breaking hug. "Oh thank you, thank you!" When Alex was released, she straightened out her coat and pointed a finger at her friend. "Let's get this straight. I don't want to do this, I'm only agreeing so you will get the hell out of my face. It's way to early for this crap, and it's my day off."

"Yeah, okay, whatever!" Eloise smiled ear to ear as she opened the door and clacked her way back downstairs to the main door. "By the way," she called from the bottom of the stairs, "your mail is on the front desk!" Then she exited the apartment part of the building and stepped outside to enter her vintage store. "Though she'd never leave," Alex shook her head at Toby, who propped his head up and stared at her. "Let's go, boy!" She patted her thigh and Toby stood up on all fours, wagging his tail.

The cold air hit them hard when they stepped outside. How Eloise could strut around without a coat, Alex would never know. Toby broke into a run and almost yanked her arm of. She kept her footing and quickly gained speed. The sun was out, beaming down brightly. Cherokee Street was near empty, save for the loiterers standing by the bus stop and the select few roaming the sidewalks. Autumn leaves crunched beneath her shoes. No clouds in the sky, but it was still bitterly cold. Alex loved it, especially when she ran in the cold. The briskness of it all cleared her head. There was no Eloise, no idiotic hipster vintage store, no overbearing jobs. Just Toby, the freezing air, and the ground beneath her feet. She could go on forever.

That is, if someone had not just stepped in front of her.

Alex cursed as she dodged the person and tripped over her own feet. In the nick of time she had let go of Toby's leash and was able to stop her fall. The concrete scraped up her palms and her knees ached from beneath her slacks. _That fucking hurt! _Toby had gotten to the next block before doubling back to his owner. Alex grit her teeth and stood back up, grabbing the leash again and spun around to see whoever it was that got in her way. A man in a leather jacket and black jeans walked away from the scene, not bothering to see if Alex was injured or not. "Hey asshole! How about you watch where you're going!" She shouted at the man, but he paid her no mind. People from St. Louis were rude, there was no denying it. Alex checked the palms of her hands. No blood, just some scratches. She gave her rude assailant the middle finger then continued running with Toby. _Stupid ass_.

* * *

After a whole half hour, Alex decided it was time to go back home. She was exhausted and a sweaty mess. Her legs felt like rubber and her feet ached. "That was fun, huh?" Toby's tail wagged as they reached the steps to the apartment. From outside the shop, Eloise could be seen hanging up more Halloween decorations and new articles of clothing she salvaged from Goodwill. Her patience was still worn thin, so Alex went up the steps to the side door that led upstairs and entered the brick building.

The inside was surprisingly warm. She unhooked the leash from Toby's collar and allowed him to sprint up the steps. She trudged up the stairs as well, though much slower than her companion. When she reached her studio, the door across from it caught her attention. An empty room that Eloise had been wanting to find a tenant for. Until that day came, it served as the official closet of the vintage shop. There were boxes upon boxes of clothes and shoes and baubles and frames, Rubbermaid tubs filled with decorations and linens, VHS tapes and records. All the things that Eloise could not fit in her store until room was made for them. Alex had been in that studio before, to look for a Van Morrison record as Eloise dealt with customers downstairs.

Toby barked, causing Alex to jump. "Fine, fine! Relax already." She opened the door for Toby and he bolted inside. An orange sheet of paper lied on the floor. She kicked it aside as she tossed herself on the bed. If she was lucky, she could get a few hours of sleep in before heading down to relieve her flighty friend of her duties. The dishes still needed to be washed, but laziness overtook her. She took off her coat and hoodie and removed her running shoes before passing out on the mattress.

She awoke to Toby laying on the floor, surrounded by shreds of chewed up orange paper. Alex groaned. "Toby, seriously?" Her hand searched for her phone in her coat pocket and she pulled the device out. It was well past five in the evening. _Better get ready for work_, she though to herself. From the pile of clothes, she was able to find a pair of stonewashed skinny jeans and a green sweater that were surprisingly clean. She quickly donned the garments and applied deodorant and cucumber lime verbena body spray. Toby took her place on the mattress and she pulled her boots on her feet and grabbed her scarf. "Bye, boy. See you later tonight!"

She was not looking forward to sitting on her behind and watching artifacts collect even more dust.

* * *

The whole place smelled of dirt and libraries. The old floral wallpaper was almost decaying behind a myriad of framed art and rusty metal signs that did not leave room for much else on the walls. Dusty shelves were stacked with books with cracking spines and dog-eared pages. Clothes racks stood in neat rows, the clothes themselves arranged by color. A crate of records sat on top of old suitcases. A shabby chandelier hung from the ceiling and lit the whole room. Eloise had left her to guard the shop two hours ago, and not a single customer came in to even browse. So, in that time span, Alex entertained herself by rolling around the store in the old orange swivel chair and singing Billy Joel. She could not get to those low notes, though.

The bell connected to the front door chimed, signaling to Alex that a potential customer had just entered. She stopped singing at once. _Alright, girl. Time to play the salesman_. _Time to shine. _Pushing the wall with her feet, she rolled herself out of the corner and into view. She had to grip the counter to stop from crashing into one of the clothes racks.

"That was quite an entrance," an amused voice said. Alex looked up and saw a peculiar looking man standing in front of her. She put on her best smile. "Why thank you. I've been practicing that one for months." Straightening her sweater out, Alex stood up and placed a hand on the counter. "What can I help you with?"

It was not just because she was sitting. The guy was tall. He had to be six feet tall, tops, wearing a black leather jacket with a grey shirt and black jeans; it made her feel rather underdressed. She only stood at five feet and two inches on a good day, and she dressed to veg out. His eye were what caught her attention. She could not decide whether they were blue or grey. "This is…Kitschy…Vintage Finds, yes?" His voice, his accent was…Alex did not want to say he was British. His voice was…different. It stressed her out.

"That's what the sign says outside, isn't it?" _Duh. How can you walk into a store and not even look at the freaking sign? _

"Is this how you address everyone when you are spoken to?" Whatever amusement that he got from her almost crashing into the clothes rack was not entertaining him anymore. At that moment he was judging her. _Touchy. _She remembered that this man was a customer. A customer is always right, the saying went. "Look, sir," she started. "I'm not even supposed to be here, so. _What can I help you with?_" She repeated the question she asked before with emphasis. "We have it all. Clothes. Books. Random miniature figures and such. Records. Artwork. All vintage or handmade in this very city." Alex made a show by waving her arms toward the items she named. But he was not paying attention. Instead, he took in the view of the store, a blank expression on his face. It was not the first time she was ignored that day…

_Wait a second._

Alex moved from behind the counter and approached him. His brow furrowed as she walked around him. "May I help you?" The black pants. The leather jacket. It could have been anybody, the person who she almost ran into while taking Toby out for a jog. But her gut was screaming _This is the douche bag from this afternoon!_ "Dude! Did you trip me up earlier today?"

"I'm sorry?"

Alex scoffed. "It was you, I know it! I was walking my dog, and you were in the middle of the sidewalk, and you made me fall." She noticed that he took a step back from her while she circled him. "Relax, I'm not a vulture or anything."

A mocking smile graced his striking features. "I am only watching where I am going. How about you keep the obscenities to yourself next time." Alex cleared her throat. _I totally called it._ She returned to her place behind the counter. "So, have you come here to apologize? Or are you going to actually buy something and leave?"

"I am actually here about this." With a slender hand, he reached into the inside of his leather jacket and pulled out a folded piece of orange paper. He placed it on the counter and slid it towards her. She eyed him as she picked it up and unfolded it.

**Kitschy Vintage Finds**

**Halloween Party, October 30****th**** 6pm-?**

**Second floor, left studio**

**BYOB**

"What the hell is this?" Alex read the words again in fear. The 30th was the next day. Second floor, left studio? That was _her_ studio. No one cleared a party with her. Her nostrils flared. _I am going to fucking kill her and drop her body in the fucking Mississippi River. _She was afraid to imagine how many other people got the same invite.

"A strange girl with blue hair gave it to me on the street. She said it was invitation only. I can only assume that this is an invitation." Freaking Eloise. When she got back from her date, Alex was going to rip her blue hair off her head. She even visited Alex earlier that day. Did things really slip her mind that easily? Alex had work that day, and Eloise knew that. Probably the reason why she planned it without saying a word to her only tenant. There were times when Alex had trouble believing that Eloise was a decent adult. "It's the 29th," she folded the paper back up and handed it to him. He looked confused. Alex sighed. "The day of the party is the 30th. Today is the 29th. You arrived too early, dude." _And you are also a random guy off the street that has just been invited to my surprise apartment party. Huh. _"If I were you, I wouldn't even show up tomorrow." There had to be a way to deadbolt her door so that no one could get in.

He paused for a moment, running a hand through his disheveled, ink black hair. "My mistake. Sorry for intruding on your singing."

Alex froze. "I wasn't singing."

"Something about an uptown girl, was it not?"

"Are you going to buy something or leave?" She huffed as he chuckled and turned to depart. That was great. It felt as if he wasted two whole hours of her time by asking about the stupid flyer that should not have even existed. The bells rang as he opened the door. "One more question," he said. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Will you be attending this gathering tomorrow?"She narrowed her eyes at him. Why did it matter whether she did or did not go? "No," she replied.

"Good." He walked out of the shop and into the dim light of the street lamps. Darkness fell a while ago, and it only aided in concealing him. Alex made a face and decided that it was a good time to close for the night. She did not think she could stand another rude stranger starting a conversation with her.

_Good riddance to bad rubbish._

* * *

Okay, first chapter is done! Spoiler alert: this is going to start out as a character development. So get ready for some boredom. I'd really like some reviews please, constructive or not. They make me smile! See you all soon!


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